The Trump Campaign's Collusion With Israel

[Nevilledog]

https://www.thenation.com/article/world/trump-israel-collusion/

No paywall
https://archive.is/bvyFj

"Roger, hello from Jerusalem,” read the message from the Israeli secret agent. Dated August 12, 2016, it was addressed to Roger Stone—at the time a key player in Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign. “Any progress? He is going to be defeated unless we intervene. We have critical intel. The key is in your hands! Back in the US next week.” Later, the agent promised, “October Surprise coming!”

This report has been adapted from portions of James Bamford's book Spyfail: Foreign Spies, Moles, Saboteurs, and the Collapse of America's Counterintelligence, published by Twelve Books.
While the American media and political system fixated on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his armies of cyber warriors, trolls, and bots, what was completely missed in the Russiagate investigation of 2016 was the Israeli connection. No details of it were ever revealed in the heavily redacted Mueller Report. Nor was there any mention of an Israeli plot in the similarly redacted Senate Intelligence Committee Report on collusion charges in the 2016 election, or in any of the indictments or trials stemming from the Russia charges. Nor did any mention of Israeli involvement ever leak into the press. Yet I can reveal here the details of an elaborate covert operation personally directed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that aimed to use secret intelligence to clandestinely intervene at the highest levels in the presidential election on behalf of Trump.

Shadowy hints of the plot only became visible with the little-noticed release in 2020 of a heavily redacted May 2018 FBI search warrant and its accompanying affidavit. As part of the Mueller investigation, the bureau had conducted an extensive search for any foreign interference in the 2016 election, and the warrant was directed at securing the Google accounts of a mysterious Israeli agent acting under the direction of someone identified as “PM.” The FBI agent who wrote the affidavit noted, “I believe ‘PM’ refers to the ‘Prime Minister.’”

In the spring of 2016, no issue was more important to Benjamin Netanyahu than Donald Trump winning the White House. The GOP presidential candidate was key to everything he was after, from ending the Iran nuclear agreement, to recognizing Jerusalem—rather than Tel Aviv—as Israel’s capital, to continuing the occupation of Palestine. But November was months away, and there was no guarantee Trump would win. In the meantime, Netanyahu was under mounting pressure from President Barack Obama to finally resolve the issues surrounding Palestine. Leading the charge on behalf of Obama was Secretary of State John Kerry, who was equally determined to find a solution after many years of trying.

*snip*

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. It's like this story gets played out every goddam Presidential cycle.

Foreign powers always want the weakest, worst option to win the Presidency. It's happened a few times in the past 45 years.

[czarjak]

2. You can't be pro-Russia AND pro-Isreal...

Look it up,

[2naSalit]

3. But...

Bibi isn't pro-Israel, he's just pretending so he can have a powerful place on the world stage.

He's just like -45 only smarter.

[czarjak]

4. Sorry, but I'm positive Bibi's intentions have conviction no matter how vile.

Trump's just doing what he's doing because he thinks he can get away with anything.

[2naSalit]

5. You know what?

I'll give you that with enthusiasm! I hadn't analyzed it to a more articulate point. Thank you.